Ah, the halcyon days of gaming the place furry mascots hopped throughout and fell off platforms. Amongst lots of its sort stood Ratchet & Clank, a sport that began a franchise that continues to today. For the curious, listed below are all of the Ratchet & Clank video games in launch order.

I’m not saying it’s best to play each Ratchet & Clank sport, so as or in any other case. However it’s best to at the very least look into the franchise in case you get pleasure from platforming, taking pictures, and normal space-faring hijinks. You’ll get all these issues, plus a number of video games through which the titles are clear innuendos so dorks like me can giggle each time we suggest them.

Each Ratchet & Clank mainline sport in launch order

Naturally, we’ll begin on the very starting of the franchise: Ratchet & Clank, which starred a furry cat alien and his speaking steel backpack. There are 9 mainline Ratchet & Clank video games, and right here they’re in launch order.

Ratchet & Clank – PlayStation 2 (2002)

Ratchet & Clank was launched in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, a yr after the platform’s launch. Starring Ratchet, a furry Lombax, and his minuscule robotic accomplice, Clank, the duo struggle in opposition to an alien menace that was rampaging throughout the galaxy.

Ratchet & Clank set the tone for its eventual successors. Goofy humor ran all through the sport, which launched quirky characters like Captain Qwark. It additionally set the inspiration for the collection’ upgradable weapon system, in addition to the power to journey to a number of, various planets and locales. Ratchet & Clank was a significant success for developer Insomniac Video games, and it set the stage for a well-loved collection but to come back.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando – PlayStation 2 (2003)

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando was the primary of many video games within the collection to incorporate some sort of innuendo in its title. However apparently not everybody appreciated the tongue-in-cheek humor, because the second sport within the franchise went as Locked in Loaded within the UK and Australia and Ratchet & Clank 2 in Japan. Some of us simply can’t respect a superb nudity joke. Anyway, Going Commando continued the journey of the (now well-known) eponymous duo as they’re joined by Angela Cross. Collectively, they tackle the mercenary group Thugs-4-Much less and villainous MegaCorp to finish a dastardly plot that threatens the galaxy as soon as extra.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal – PlayStation 2 (2004)

See? Innuendos. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is the third sport within the franchise to hit the PlayStation 2 within the early aughts, however not the final. Up Your Arsenal shook issues up a bit for the franchise by being the primary to supply a separate on-line mode. Many single-player video games round this period experimented with multiplayer options, prone to enhance longevity. Some pulled it off, like with Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and its excellent Spies vs. Mercs mode. Up Your Arsenal‘s tackle multiplayer was profitable as effectively, and the mode stayed on-line till 2012.

The plot for Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal takes the duo to Ratchet’s dwelling planet, which was being besieged by the monstrous Tyhrranoids. Ratchet quickly finds himself swept up in one other galactic conspiracy, through which he and Clank hop from planet to planet attempting to cease the one who set the Tyhrranoid menace in movement.

Ratchet: Deadlocked – PlayStation 2 (2005), PlayStation 3 (remastered 2013)

Ah, rattling it. “Deadlocked” isn’t a secret innuendo for one thing, is it? Oh, effectively. Simply going by the title, Ratchet: Deadlocked definitely doesn’t sound like a typical sport within the franchise. You’d be right. The ultimate sport within the collection on the PlayStation 2 solely allowed you to play as Ratchet, who will get captured and compelled to compete in an intergalactic blood sport. Deadlocked was all about motion, enhancing the gameplay with highly effective weapon mods and lethal autos.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Instruments of Destruction – PlayStation 3 (2007)

Ratchet & Clank Future: Instruments of Destruction was the primary sport within the franchise to look on the PlayStation 3. Regardless of having “Future” within the title, Instruments of Destruction doesn’t actually evolve the traditional Ratchet & Clank formulation by a lot. You shoot, bounce, and shoot some extra throughout a number of areas utilizing loopy instruments and weapons. It does make use of the SIXAXIS controller, but it surely’s nonetheless a typical R&C sport by means of and thru. Not like Deadlocked, it returns with the platforming and puzzle-solving components that helped outline the unique trilogy.

The most important change is hinted at by the sport’s title: It’s the primary within the Future trilogy and options the boys zipping by means of time to cease a brand new plot.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty – PlayStation 3 (2008)

“Quest for Booty” isn’t arguably an innuendo as it’s a double entendre, however I’ll take it. We’re again! Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty follows up its predecessor by tasking Ratchet with rescuing Clank, who was kidnapped on the finish of Instruments of Destruction. Talwyn Apogee, who made her look within the prior sport, joins Ratchet in his chase. As you’ll have surmised from the title, the sport options themes about… pirates (get your head out of the gutter).

Ratchet and Talwyn discover themselves looking the house pirate Captain Angstrom Darkwater. The sport was a fast romp, coming in at solely about 4 hours. It largely appears to exist to arrange the following, last sport within the saga.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – PlayStation 3 (2009)

We’re finished with the foolish titles within the mainline collection now, and the world feels ever colder for it. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the final within the Future trilogy. It follows up Quest for Booty with Ratchet nonetheless on the hunt for his robotic buddy. Clank is within the fingers of Dr. Nefarious, who believes there’s some secret locked deep contained in the bot’s reminiscences.

A Crack in Time is heavy on the plot, with Ratchet and firm hopping round planets and zipping by means of time to cease Nefarious as soon as and for all. Ratchet will get some much-needed closure, and the sport ends on an emotional word. For some followers, A Crack in Time might need felt like the ultimate sport within the franchise, however they’d be fallacious.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus – PlayStation 3 (2013)

A private favourite of mine, Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus befell after the occasions of the Future video games and the spin-off Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault. Ah, an innuendo! I knew we weren’t finished with these but. So, they hid them within the spin-off video games. Sneaky.

Into the Nexus stars the duo after they joined the ranks of the Polaris Protection Pressure. The shorter, extra tightly targeted sport has the boys hopping dimensions and manipulating gravity within the hunt to as soon as once more take down the Thugs-4-Much less mercenaries led by Vendra and Neftin Prog.

Ratchet & Clank – PlayStation 4 (remake 2016)

Technically, Ratchet & Clank (2016) places the listing of mainline video games as much as 10, but it surely’s additionally a remake of the unique and that is my listing so it sits right here in a bizarre spot between Into the Nexus and Rift Aside. The remake launched on the PlayStation 4 and exists as the one Ratchet & Clank sport made for the platform. Insomniac Video games had been busy with Sundown Overdrive and a few different video games earlier than exploding again onto the scene with the wonderful (and spectacular) Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018.

Ratchet & Clank (2016) re-imagines the 2002 unique, whereas additionally performing as a little bit of an commercial for the animated film that was in improvement alongside the sport. It featured some clips from the movie as effectively whereas sharing artwork and fashions.

It might be unfair to name the remake a easy tie-in for the movie. Ratchet & Clank was a strong sport in its personal proper, remodeling the traditional gameplay to go well with fashionable audiences. It was a success amongst critics and followers, not like the film which launched the identical yr to a middling response.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside – PlayStation 5 (2021), PC (2023)

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside is the primary mainline sport within the collection in roughly a decade, but it surely was well worth the wait. The duo returns on PlayStation 5, utilizing the platform’s would possibly to cost new gameplay components. Manipulating “rifts” is the first gameplay conceit, letting gamers clear up platforming challenges and fly by means of dimensions practically instantaneously.

The story has Ratchet hopping from dimension to dimension, looking down Clank who was taken by an “Into the Ratchet-verse” Lombax named Rivet. Gamers get to discover the sport’s worlds as each Rivet and Ratchet. And although the 2 are completely different, they play nearly precisely the identical. Regardless of this, Rift Aside went on to turn into a essential success. Hopefully, we see extra of the Ratchet and Clank workforce sooner or later.

Each Ratchet & Clank spin-off sport in launch order

In case you suppose the franchise solely included 9 (arguably 10) video games, you’d be mistaken. The Ratchet & Clank collection consists of six spin-off video games throughout consoles and handheld units. And a few them might need been good!

Ratchet & Clank: Going Cell – Cell phone (2005)

Ratchet & Clank: Going Cell was developed by Sony Footage Cell in 2005, and launched for cellphones across the similar time as Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. The 2 video games shared some artwork, however their tales by no means crossed. In Going Cell, Ratchet and Clank are sucked into the confines of a cell phone on the hunt for the items of a mystical factor that may set them free. It tickles me that the merchandise is known as a “MCGuFIN.” A sequel known as Ratchet & Clank: Clone House was deliberate however canceled.

Ratchet & Clank: Measurement Issues – PlayStation Transportable (2007), PlayStation 2 (ported 2008)

Ah, the ill-fated PlayStation Transportable (PSP). Regardless of its incapacity to knock Nintendo’s moveable units off their lofty perch, the PSP did have a quite strong library. One such shining instance is Ratchet & Clank: Measurement Issues by Excessive Influence Video games in 2007. Measurement Issues, which is certainly an innuendo (it didn’t escape my eyes), proved that the traditional Ratchet & Clank formulation may succeed even in a extra compact setting. It provided every little thing followers beloved in regards to the collection. You had devices, upgradable weapons, puzzles, platforming, and extra. It additionally didn’t skimp on content material, coming in at round eight hours.

Secret Agent Clank – PlayStation Transportable (2008)

I’ve not performed Secret Agent Clank, however I’m conscious of it. The sport starred largely Clank in a James Bond-esque journey full with gag instruments and weapons like Cuff Hyperlink Bombs and a Tie-a-Rang. It additionally included autos to drive and, not like Ratchet, Clank may deploy martial arts strikes and finishers in opposition to foes. Secret Agent Clank derived from the opposite video games, and carried out reasonably effectively. But it surely couldn’t fairly recapture the success of its predecessor.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One – PlayStation 3 (2011)

Following their PSP iterations, Ratchet and Clank continued their spin-off journey again on console. The boys have been again underneath the care of Insomniac Video games with Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, a spin-off that befell someday after the top of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time.

Ratchet and Clank are joined by Captain Qwark and, in a twist, their age-long nemesis Dr. Nefarious. The four-player co-op journey had the bizarre workforce struggle in opposition to an even-worse foe. All 4 One was primarily a multiplayer sport, the place you confronted off in opposition to bots in on-line play.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault – PlayStation 3 (2012), PlayStation Vita (ported 2013)

I’m glad we will have this one last innuendo (sure, I’m counting it). Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault is the collection’ final spin-off sport on console, having launched for the PlayStation 3 in 2012. It was adopted up by a PS Vita port in 2013, however that didn’t do the sport any favors. Full Frontal Assault was a tower protection sport set within the Ratchet & Clank universe, and it launched to above-average scores.

Ratchet & Clank: Earlier than the Nexus – Cell units (2013)

Launched as a promotional sport for Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, Earlier than the Nexus is an limitless runner for iOS and Android units. The sport has you as Ratchet hopping on grindrails and amassing bolts to commerce for upgrades. You too can collect Raritanium, a cloth that can be utilized in Into the Nexus. The sport remains to be downloadable on the iOS and Android shops underneath the title Ratchet & Clank: BTN in case you’re curious.